Emergency response
- 01
Call 117
Free from any network, at any hour, anywhere in the country.
- 02
Triage
A trained dispatcher records your location and assesses severity.
- 03
Dispatch
The nearest available crew is assigned and guided to the scene.
- 04
Transfer
The patient is stabilised and taken to the appropriate facility.
24/7 dispatch
The national call and dispatch centre operates continuously, every day of the year.
Nationwide coverage
Crews are stationed regionally so that every district has assigned emergency capacity.
Equipped vehicles
Each ambulance carries oxygen, suction and resuscitation equipment with a trained crew.
Ambulance stations
Bo Regional Station
- Bo Government Hospital compound
- 14 vehicles · covers Bo, Moyamba, Bonthe
- 117
Freetown Central Dispatch
- Youyi Building, Brookfields, Freetown
- 28 vehicles · covers Western Area Urban and Rural
- 117
Kenema Regional Station
- Kenema Government Hospital compound
- 12 vehicles · covers Kenema, Kailahun
- 117
Makeni Regional Station
- Makeni Regional Hospital compound
- 13 vehicles · covers Bombali, Tonkolili, Koinadugu
- 117
Port Loko Station
- Port Loko District Hospital compound
- 9 vehicles · covers Port Loko, Kambia
- 117
Pujehun Station
- Pujehun District Hospital compound
- 6 vehicles · covers Pujehun
- 117
Referral procedures
- 1
The referring facility calls 117 and provides the patient's condition, age and required level of care.
- 2
The dispatch centre confirms bed and specialist availability at the receiving hospital.
- 3
A crew is assigned; the referring clinician prepares the referral form and stabilises the patient.
- 4
Handover is documented at the receiving facility and returned to the Directorate for audit.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the ambulance service free?
- Yes. Calling 117 and emergency transport by the National Emergency Medical Service are free of charge.
- Does 117 work on every network?
- Yes. The line is toll free from all mobile networks in Sierra Leone, twenty-four hours a day.
- What information should I give the dispatcher?
- Your exact location and nearest landmark, the patient's condition, age and sex, and a phone number the crew can call back.
- Can I request an ambulance for a non-emergency transfer?
- Non-emergency inter-facility transfers are arranged by the referring health facility through the dispatch centre, not by members of the public.
- What if no ambulance is available?
- The dispatcher will advise the nearest facility and, where possible, coordinate an alternative vehicle through the district health team.
Coming soon
Online ambulance request and a live ambulance tracking dashboard are in development and will be published on this page once operational.